The bloggers making the big bucks

Meet the laptop jockeys making a full time living from the comfort of their homes.

By Alexandra Cain

UpdatedMay 12, 2016 — 11.49amfirst published at 12.00am

Eighteen months ago Lisa Corduff was looking for a way to get back into the workforce after having her third child. Fast forward to 2016 and the Brisbane-based entrepreneur is proof it's possible to make a full-time living simply by blogging.

"I announced to my relatively small Facebook community that I was running a free 21-day wholefoods challenge. Five hundred people signed up and the success of it gave me the confidence to create my online program," says Corduff.

Lisa Corduff produces content for her blog.

She's parlayed her initial success into four different products: Small Steps to Wholefoods is an eight-week online program. Small Steps to Fermenting is an online toolkit for making fermented food and drinks. Keep it Simple – One Week of Wholefoods is a menu plan program. Small Steps Together is a membership program for graduates of Small Steps to Wholefoods. She invests heavily in Facebook advertising and runs free online webinars and video workshops to help attract new clients.

Corduff is also putting together a recipe book and products to make life in the kitchen easier. But the best part is that other online businesses are seeking her advice. "I have a few coaching clients I work with, mums struggling with the same things I am."

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Lisa Corduff combines family life and blogging.

She says that today the business generates annual income of $250,000. "My business has always paid for itself. I have never borrowed money to fund it. That means most of the first year's earnings went straight back in to invest and upgrade. I get only 12 hours a week uninterrupted by children so I am a ninja with my time, and outsourcing became a necessity early on."

Not surprisingly, Corduff says her main challenge is limited time. "With three kids under five they always come first. But I can't switch my brain off. I am constantly coming up with new business ideas, new product ideas and new interview ideas.

"Having a structured business team has helped me create a bigger picture plan and learn how to say no – to myself. I want every idea to be born, but the reality is that cannot always happen, at least [not] straight away. Shelving ideas until the time is right is key to my sanity. Eventually I'd like all the Small Steps products to standalone from my website, but this will take a couple of years."

Scott Purcell and Frank Arthur started the Man of Many men's lifestyle blog three years ago as an avenue to share cool things they were already emailing each other about.

"With a lack of male-focused Australian sites at the time it resonated incredibly well with PR firms and advertisers when we approached them. Three years later, we've grown into a viable business and a successful site, partnering with brands such as McDonalds, Samsung and Tesla, primarily producing content pieces and video," says Purcell.

After running the site part-time – Arthur is an industrial designer and Purcell worked in finance – the pair has recently taken the decision to focus solely on the website. "We're currently generating annual revenue of more than $200,000 on a run-rate basis," he says.

Purcell says automating repetitive tasks like syndicating content over social media channels and scheduling articles and social posts ahead of time was an important way to introduce efficiencies into the business.

"A tip is to write for yourself rather than for other people. While this might sound strange, people love reading about topics the author is genuinely passionate about. As soon as you start to write for others it becomes false, like you're trying too hard. Make the articles and topics special for yourself and something you enjoy and the traffic and revenue will follow."

Nicole Reaney, director of InsideOut PR, says that in the last decade, the blogging world has spiralled from hobby platforms to true commercial entities.

"Brands recognise the power of bloggers and are following or partnering with these social influencers. This audience is willing to pay for blogger content, and there are strategies to ride this wave and turn your blog into a career and income stream. Some bloggers have created such a strong following that they've become celebrities in their own right," she says.

The business has a blogger management service called #AsSeenOn.

Reaney's advice to wannabe bloggers is to create a blog that's visually appealing and invest in an easy-to-follow, clean layout with strong design principles. "Be clear on your topic area and your blog's purpose to ensure you become the 'go-to' for that type of content."

She says as a blogger it's useful to have the mindset of a journalist. "Continually update your blog and social feeds with fresh, unique and engaging content that readers can't get anywhere else."

In terms of marketing, her advice is to start by capturing a following from friends and family then extend that to a following with a genuine interest in the topic.

"Research other bloggers and news outlets, nationally and internationally, for ideas on how you can continue to improve your blog and keep it fresh. Also attend blogger events or conferences around your topic area," she advises.

It's also essential to track the performance of your blog. Says Reaney: "When it comes to commercialising your blog, authentic numbers count. Regularly track the performance of your blog in terms of monthly unique visitors and your social network following."

It's also important to formalise a commercial offering to brands, such as sponsored blogs, social posts, reviews, ambassador or speaking roles. "Then determine your proposed fee structure, ensuring you have done your research to make it realistic and competitive. Create products that followers can purchase, from books, to workshops and videos."

Reaney's final piece of advice is to start small and build from there. "It pays to show you are genuine and enjoy your blog. Do not come off as a sellout, simply writing to earn a quick dollar. An influencer only influences when they have something genuine to say, not when they are paid to say it."